What
began as a childhood fascination with his grandfathers primitive
herding dogs has led Kim La Flamme on a lifelong quest of determination
and untiring devotion to preserve the American Indian Dog we know today.
At 14 years old, Kim was entrusted with the responsibility of the survival
of the breed. The dogs continue to be a very strong force in his life
still, some forty years later. After pursuing several occupational interests,
such as Carpentry and a very rewarding career as a certified clinical
hypnotherapist, the rural farm life proved to be his true calling. Kim,
along with his wife, Arlene, currently owns and operates La Flamme Farms
in Selma Oregon, where they also breed and sell registered Peruvian
Peso horses and Desert Lynx Cats. They also produce Pinot Noir grapes
in their vineyards that are used to create a very exceptional quality
wine.

Beginning
in the 1960s, Kim began his search to find other rare examples
of the primitive indigenous dogs that had become so important to him.
Traveling to Indian reservations from Canada to Mexico, Kim pursued
every lead he could. He interviewed countless Native American Elders
and others to get first hand accounts of the once numerous Indian dogs.
He was successful in locating and trapping feral examples of several
types of primitive dogs that all contributed genetically to the very
versatile blood lines created over hundreds of years by the plains Indian
tribes through trade and contact with neighboring tribes. The genetic
characteristics of some of the now extinct Indian dog breeds are preserved
in the current American Indian Dog bloodlines thanks to Kims foresight
and learned knowledge of genetics. Being a self taught researcher and
authority on these and other animals seems to have come quite naturally
to Kim, and his pride in his own Blackfoot Indian heritage is very much
apparent in his admiration for these uniquely intelligent and beautiful
breed of dogs.

As
a very responsible Breeder, Kim is a strong believer in educating others
about the vast history and cultural significance that these dogs demonstrate
in relation to both ancient and modern Native American people, as well
as others who truly appreciate the value of the American Indian Dog
as one of the first domestic animals on the North American continent.
He authorized the formation of the International Indian Dog Owners and
Breeders Association in late 2001. IIDOBA is a unified owners and breeders
organization charged with the responsibility of reinforcing a strong
code of ethics, maintaining the breed standards, and promoting positive
educational exposure for the breed.

We
all are very fortunate that Kim has devoted so much of his life to saving
such an important part of our Native American culture. And that he is
so willing to share these incredible dogs with others who also have
come to know the strong spiritual bond created between these very special
dogs and their owners.

bio by Pat Cummins,
IIDOBA Vice-President

Pat
Cummins, IIDOBA Vice-President
Nashville Tennessee
My name is Pat Cummins, Im married, and my wifes name is
Debbie, and we have two Children, Joseph-9 and Kara -3. We live in Hermitage
Tennessee, near Nashville. I am of Cherokee descent, and have served
four consecutive terms as the President of The Alliance For Native American
Indian Rights of Tennessee, a nonprofit organization dedicated to Native
American burial site preservation. I am also the Executive Director
of the Native American Land Trust of Tennessee, another nonprofit organization
established to return ancestral land to the Native American people of
Tennessee. I have devoted much of my life over the past 8 years to helping
to educate others about our Native American heritage, and advocating
for the rights of American Indian people.

My
family owns two American Indian Dogs. Our first, Quanah (after Quanah
Parker, the Comanche Chief), is a year old, and the other is a young
female, Ta-li Gi-li (Cherokee for #2 Dog). After thoroughly researching
the dogs, I was very fortunate to have contacted Kim Laflamme and I
soon learned that everything I read about the dogs was not only true,
but I also felt the strong spiritual connection that comes from being
with the dogs. I have also found that the dogs have a magical ability
to bring total strangers together as extended family. I have come to
consider many of our owners, some of the best friends anyone could ever
have.

I
have searched my entire life for what I consider to be the perfect
dog. And I now know that I have two of the most intelligent, and naturally
instinctive dogs I could ever hoped to own. I believe strongly in educating
the public about their ancient history, and I am very much devoted to
the continued preservation of the American Indian Dog. It is truly an
honor to serve the IIDOBA as its Vice-President. I look forward to working
with our current leadership, owners, and future Indian Dog owners for
many years to come!